veterinary practices; ownership; oversight

HB 4019 restricts ownership and management of veterinary practices in Arizona to licensed veterinarians. It requires practice owners to be licensed vets substantially engaged in care, prohibits non-veterinarian management services organizations (MSOs) from interfering with clinical decisions, and mandates that licensees hold majority voting control. The bill also voids noncompete agreements unless a vet owns 25%+ of the other entity and bans enforceable nondisclosure agreements between vets and MSOs. Veterinary practices must annually report ownership details to the state veterinary board, and violations can trigger fines up to $10,000 per day or misdemeanor charges. This directly affects veterinary practice owners, MSOs, and licensed veterinarians managing practices.